This recipe is from Su Rogers, my best friend’s mum—I beg her pardon for altering it a little, for I recall more of the meat is picked out of the shell in her recipe, whereas I enjoy the hard work at the eating moment. It is also the only dish in this book that contains coriander.
Cook and prepare the crabs as in Crab and Mayonnaise; for this recipe you want to boil them for 20 minutes, on the side of under- rather than overcooked, as they are cooked again. Scoop all the meat out of the shell into a bowl and remove all the legs from the body. With a strong knife, cut the body into quarters and partially crack the large claws with a hammer.
In a pan heat the olive oil and fry the garlic, chili and ginger for 3 minutes. Add the quartered crab bodies, the claws, the spring onion, and then the scooped crab meat and all the legs, and the lemon juice. Season and stir continuously and enthusiastically until heated through.
Just before serving, throw in the coriander and parsley, give one last stir, tip into a dish, and eat armed with useful tools to pick out the crab flesh, and many napkins, and for that matter, much white wine.